John Whitney Barlow | |
|---|---|
 Brigadier General John W. Barlow, Chief of Engineers May 2–May 3, 1901 | |
| Born | (1838-06-26)June 26, 1838 Perry, New York, U.S. |
| Died | February 27, 1914(1914-02-27) (aged 75) |
| Buried | |
| Allegiance | United States of America Union |
| Branch | United States Army Union Army |
| Years of service | 1861–1901 |
| Rank |  Brigadier General |
| Commands | Chief of Engineers |
| Battles / wars | American Civil WarIndian Wars |
John Whitney Barlow (June 26, 1838 – February 27, 1914) was a careerofficer in theUnited States Army. During and after theAmerican Civil War, he was noted for his engineering talents.
Barlow was born atPerry, Wyoming County, New York to Nehemiah and Orinda Barlow, who later moved their family toWisconsin.[1] He was appointed to theUnited States Military Academy and graduated in May 1861. Barlow was first commissioned into the artillery and served with the famedU.S. Horse Artillery Brigade during thePeninsula Campaign, but transferred to theTopographical Engineers in July 1862. He served with the Battalion of Engineers atGettysburg and as engineer of an army corps in thesiege of Atlanta. He supervised the defenses of Nashville and wasbrevetted as alieutenant colonel for his gallant service there in December 1864.
Between Civil War campaigns, Barlow was detailed to the Military Academy as an assistant professor. He taught mathematics from September 1862 to March 1863, geography, history and ethics from March to June 1863 and mathematics again from February to June 1864.[2]
From 1870 until 1874 he wasGeneral Sheridan's Chief Engineer in the Military Division of the Missouri. During this period he made scientific explorations of the headwaters of theMissouri andYellowstone rivers. In 1872, his expedition party was attacked by about 1000 warriors led bySitting Bull, but they were defeated by the 400 cavalry troopers assigned to guard the explorers.[3] His detailed reports became guides for settlers. Barlow improved the harbors and defenses ofLong Island Sound from 1875 to 1883, executed harbor improvements in northernWisconsin andMichigan, and worked on the construction of a canal aroundMuscle Shoals on theTennessee River.
He was the senior American member of the international commission that re-marked the disputed boundary withMexico in 1892–96. He was subsequently Northwest Division Engineer for four years. On May 2, 1901, he was commissioned as abrigadier general and appointedChief of Engineers. The next day, May 3, 1901, he retired from the Army after 40 years of service.
Barlow married Hessie McNaughten Birnie (December 15, 1843 – December 8, 1898) on December 26, 1861, in Washington, D.C.[1][4] They had two daughters and a son.[5] While he was serving as Northwest Division Engineer based in New York City, his wife died of bronchial pneumonia at their residence in The Albany, Broadway and 51st Street, Manhattan.[6][7]
After retirement, he moved toNew London, Connecticut where he married Alice Stanton Turner on September 17, 1902.[1]
Barlow died on February 27, 1914, inJerusalem,Israel, at the age of 75. His body was shipped back to theUnited States and was interred atArlington National Cemetery beside his first wife.[8]
Battery Barlow–Saxton atFort MacArthur was named in his honor.
Barlow Peak inYellowstone National Park is named for John W. Barlow.
"Brigadier General John W. Barlow".Portraits and Profiles of Chief Engineers. Archived fromthe original on March 6, 2005. RetrievedAugust 24, 2005.
| Military offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Chief of Engineers 1901 | Succeeded by |
| International | |
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| National | |
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